In this podcast for Functional Ecology, Assistant Editor, Frank Harris, sits down with Anna Stöckl—a Group Leader at Konstanz University, Germany—to discuss her recently published paper: Flower patterns improve foraging efficiency in bumblebees by guiding approach flight and landing

Anna’s paper shows that flower patterns reduced flower handling time by up to 30%, without a reduction in nectar discovery time. Instead, the patterns were involved in guiding approach flight, landing and departure decisions. Anna et al. revealed these effects on flower-experienced foragers. Since these represent the majority of active pollinators, the nectary-independent impact of flower patterns must be considered fundamental to plant–pollinator interactions under natural conditions.

* Article: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2435.14262

* Plain language summary: https://fesummaries.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/flower-patterns-improve-foraging-efficiency-in-bumblebees-by-guiding-approach-flight-and-landing/

* Transcript: https://functionalecologists.com/2023/03/30/flower-patterns-improve-foraging-efficiency-in-bumblebees-by-guiding-approach-flight-and-landing-podcast-transcript/